The Buzz starts here: a new home for all things bees and honey

With around 2.3 million visitors to Queenstown each year, there’s plenty to do for adrenaline junkies and winter sports fanatics. But what about those looking for a (ahem) more mellow buzz? Buzzstop owner and keen beekeeper Nick Cameron has a great suggestion.

This winter has seen the launch of Buzzstop Honey Centre on Frankton’s Hansen Rd: a hive of activity for tourists and rural beekeeping enthusiasts alike.

Along with a cosy café that’s been charming guests with its outstanding honey-drizzled Belgian waffles, there’s a shop selling all things bees – from honey to skincare and beeswax wraps. Indoor and outdoor seating offer incredible views of the endlessly jagged Remarkables mountain range. In the winter Buzz Stop’s barista is serving hot ROAR Coffee, and of course there’s plenty of Kapiti Ice-Cream on hand to cool sunny summer days.

At the ‘business end’ there’s a food grade certified honey extraction equipment and packaging facility, as well as visitor experiences, tours and learning environments. This is a honey centre with a ‘hands on’ difference. Visitors can wear a bee suit, look inside a hive, and hold a frame with about 400 bees. Buzzstop’s tours include ‘Spin-your-own-honey’, ‘Honey tasting’, ‘Bee-a-bee-keeper’, ‘Candle making and honey soaps’ and more. And it seems all ages are drawn to the action.

Buzzstop’s general manager Nick Cameron has been a beekeeper for more than 15 years. At the heart of Buzzstop’s philosophy is a desire to share and educate people about the wonders of bees and honey, and how we can better look after our little winged buddies in our own backyards. Visitors can even take a look inside Buzzstop’s see-through Observation Hive to see them in action.

Cameron is keen to work with beekeepers from Otago, Southland and the West Coast, providing professional equipment, so beekeepers don’t have to ‘make do and mend’. "We'll just try to make life easier for rural beekeepers," says Nick.